Guilty plea in Shane Grogan assault case as victim’s treatment continues

THE man responsible for the attack which has left young Tuam man Shane Grogan still fighting to recover from serious head injuries almost a year after his assault, pleaded guilty to the assault when his case came before Galway Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday. Shane Byrne (19), originally from Dublin, who lived for a period at 2, Chapel Court, Tuam and had been homeless for a period, appeared in custody in Galway where he pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious harm to Shane Grogan, at or near the Fairgreen, Tuam, on August 5, 2012, by causing a large, right front, temporal, subdural haematoma with mass effect, contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1977. Bernard Madden SC asked for sentencing in the matter to be adjourned so that a probation report could be obtained on his client.[private] Judge Keenan Johnson directed the preparation of a probation report and a victim impact report. He then remanded the accused in custody to appear before the court again on July 2 for sentencing. As the defendant pleaded guilty, no evidence was presented relating to the traumatic assault which resulted in the victim needing intensive care in Dublin, and his treatment is still ongoing at UCHG. When the attack occurred there was an outpouring of sympathy for the Grogan family, who have been generous in their praise for the way the matter was handled by the Gardai and the medical staff who have been treating Shane since early August last year. Joe and Joan Grogan run a funeral home in Tuam. Shane graduated in business studies at GMIT Castlebar and he works in the financial department of Merit Medical in Galway. He is a keen athlete and marathon runner and the community continues to offer the Grogan family support as they support Shane through his continuing treatment. Shane is understood to have been hit on the head by Byrne with a brick in an incident at Fairgreen, off Milltown Road, in the early hours of the morning. He was walking with his girlfriend towards the house of a friend in the area when the incident happened at approximately 3.30 am on a Sunday morning. Earlier that day Shane and his girlfriend had attended the Galway Races. It is understood they were walking to a party in a friendâ€â„¢s house when they encountered a group of young men in the vicinity of the RDF building (old FCA Hall) at Fairgreen where an altercation took place. Tuam Gardai and the emergency services were alerted and were quickly on the scene and Shane was taken by ambulance to University Hospital, Galway. He was later transferred to Beaumount Hospital, Dublin for specialist treatment for severe head injuries.[/private]